Muskingum University hosts author Dr. Marcus Rediker

Dr. Marcus Rediker

Muskingum University's Faculty Special Events Committee will host a lecture, "The Amistad Rebellion: A New Interpretation," by Marcus Rediker at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 in room 343 of Boyd Science Center on campus.

This event is free and open to the public.

Rediker, who is distinguished professor of Atlantic history at the University of Pittsburgh, will lecture on his most recent book, "The Amistad Rebellion: An Atlantic Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom," which reframes one of the most important events in American history involving slavery.

On June 28, 1839, the Spanish slave schooner Amistad set sail from Havana on a routine delivery of human cargo. The captive Africans on board rose up, killed the captain and seized control of the ship. Following their capture, their legal battle for freedom eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where their cause was argued by former President John Quincy Adams. In a landmark ruling, the slaves were freed and, eventually, returned to Africa.

The rebellion became one of the milestones in the history of American slavery and was celebrated as a triumph of the legal system in reflecting the unique perspective of the judges, politicians and abolitionists involved in the case.

A 1976 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Rediker earned both his master's degree and his doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has written, co-written or edited seven books.

For more information on the lecture, call 740-826-8182.

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Muskingum University hosts author Dr. Marcus Rediker

Muskingum University's Faculty Special Events Committee will host a lecture, 'The Amistad Rebellion: A New Interpretation,' by Marcus Rediker at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 in room 343 of Boyd Science Center on